The Great Awakening: Overview

The Great Awakening occurred around during the 18th Century. It was led by Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield. It was a spiritual rebirth that swept over American colonies during the beginning of the 18th Century. The Great Awakening resulted in the growth of the Presbyterian, Methodist, and Baptist Churches. This rebirth was intended to renew Puritanism and appeal to the colonists’ emotions by taking away the coldness and replacing it with a religion that they could be more involved in. Political uncertainty and economic instability distracted communists from religious obligations (http://www. great-awakening. com/? page_id=12).
When the awakening took place people were not only just members of the church but they began to really learn about their religion and engage more in prayer. This also allowed these people to be more in touch with God. Not only by prayer was this able to happen, but also through song, readings, language, and social conscience. The Great Awakening revealed that people were interested in modifying religion to meet their needs (http://www. great-awakening. com/? page_id=12). The Great Awakening caused what was said to be a “religious fever” which caused believers to break away from the church because they church wasn’t fulfilling their needs.
This event led to the desire to leave their mother country, England. The break away prepared America for its War of Independence. After a while, colonists began to realize that political power was in their own hands (http://christianbookshelf. org/greene/the_development_of_religious_liberty_in_connecticut/chapter_ix_the_great_awakening. htm) Does America need a Great Awakening today? In my opinion, I think that we just might need it. There are so many crimes taking place this day and times that there is no way that people are taking part in their religious life. There are robberies, murders, rape, etc. constantly happening in the country.

If we were to have another Great Awakening it could possibly decrease the amount of these crimes committed. An article that I have recently read was saying how Anti-Christian plays were performed at schools such as Dartmouth. Also in New Jersey, a bible was taken from a Presbyterian church and was burned in a bonfire held for the public. Let’s take a look at entertainment these days. For example, some of these used to be Disney stars that stole the hearts of young boys and girls, are now sexualized and have been in trouble for drugs and addiction. People are turning away from their Christian values for